(C’ERA UNA VOLTA IL WEST, Sergio Leone, US/Italy 1968, 165 min., 35mm)

Brilliantly cast against type, Henry Fonda is Frank, a cold-hearted, avaricious monster who shows no remorse while gunning down the McBain family to access their land. The surviving McBain widow (Claudia Cardinale) defends the farm helped by a mysterious drifter with a harmonica (Charles Bronson), who seeks his own revenge on Frank. For this Italian-American co-production, director Leone shot on American locations for the first time, choosing John Ford’s beloved Monument Valley as a backdrop. Topping their success with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Leone and his composer Ennio Morricone reached new operatic heights in matching music with image. A new 35mm print of the uncut original release version will be shown.